Results 3,141-3,160 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Services (11 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: My Department is taking the opportunity to utilise external delivery of new non-core services as set out in the Public Service Reform Plan agreed by Government in November 2011. I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is the designated Market Surveillance Authority in Ireland for the EU Directives on Ecodesign and Labelling of energy-related products and for the EU Regulation on Tyre...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Telecommunications Services (11 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30 Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher speeds are available to as many homes and businesses as...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Renewable Energy (11 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The question raised by the Deputy is currently the subject matter of judicial review proceedings in the High Court. In light of this, I won’t be making further comment on the matter.

Personal Apology by Minister (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: In the heat of exchanges with Deputy Cowen, I made a remark which I regret and I want to withdraw. I knew the former Taoiseach, Mr. Brian Cowen, better than most in this House. I have a great deal of regard for the fact that, like his father before him, he did his public service in this House according to his own lights. I regret the remark I made and I want to withdraw it on the record.

Education (Welfare) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: First Stage (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: No.

Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I cannot change the order for Monday.

Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: The Deputy will be aware that it was she and others who sought that we would make special provision, as we have done, to discuss the report of the expert group on the A, B and C v. Ireland case. Uniquely in my experience, we will be sitting for five days next week. Apart from that, the social welfare Bill, a central part of the budget, will be taken next week as will the property tax Bill...

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: We want to ensure that in future people who are unfortunate enough to temporarily lose their employment or who reach retirement age are protected as far as the State can do it. It does it quite well; it does it better than comparable states in the OECD or the European Union. It does it better than the northern state adjacent to Deputy Pringle. I am proud of that. For Deputy Pringle to...

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: There is no sentiment; the troika lends us money, setting conditions for that, and we comply with those conditions or it does not sign the cheque. There is no mystery to this.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: What about Greece? There are people hungry at the bottom of the pile in Greece.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Tens of thousands of public servants have been disemployed.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: People who are paying the USC in this country on as little as €10,000 are liable to full tax in Greece and many other impositions. If colleagues on the Opposition benches think we should go the way of Greece, this Government does not agree.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Deputy Pringle refuses to acknowledge decisions in the budget like slashing tax relief on pension pots for people who expect a pension of more than €60,000.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: He refused to acknowledge the mansion tax on homes worth more than €1 million.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: He ignored the 3% increase in USC for better off pensioners.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: I will not trace along the benches there on that one because it would not be helpful.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: We have extended PRSI to all incomes and made changes to capital gains tax, capital acquisitions tax and DIRT, all of which affect the better off. In so far as the Government had it within its power, it took money from those best able to pay.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: Everyone must contribute something.

Leaders' Questions (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: For those who need a safety net, however, the safety net has been protected and we are proud of that.

Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Pat Rabbitte: It is proposed to take No. 1, Motion re Standing Orders Relative to Private Business; No. 12a, Supplementary Estimate for Public Services [Vote 37] (back from committee); No. 19, Financial Motions by the Minister for Finance 2012, Motion 15 (resumed); and No. 17, Statements on the Report of the Expert Group on the Judgment in the A, B and C v. Ireland Case (resumed). No. 17 will be taken not...